“Having the food here allows people to come in and spend more time with the art,” Palette Gallery owner Joe Borzotta.

Having first visited Asbury Park in 2001 on the recommendation of a Hoboken neighbor, Borzotta said he was hooked.

He bought a weekend home here and then the gallery space along Cookman Avenue. In November, he closed to welcome Vintage Subs into the space.

Vintage Subs owner Nick Evangelista originally opened the Jersey-style sub shop across the street but opted to move into Borzotta’s space in the fall.

“I’ve owned bars in Hoboken and Manhattan and I wanted to create a similar vibe here with an event space with food and the gallery,” said Borzotta, who obtained his BFA from Rhode Island School of Design and attended New York’s School of Visual Arts for graduate work.

Borzotta said the New Year will bring more events to the space, including film screening, live music and open mic nights.

On the growing art scene here in Asbury Park, Borzotta said, “There are a number of galleries here for such a small corridor that have been surviving and doing well for some time. A big part of that is that Asbury is getting known as a place where you can find original art. There are serious galleries here and collectors are starting to take notice. They are coming here and the casual collectors are also looking here and buying here.”

The event includes a chance to win a free Vintage Sub for a year and will offer free bottle water or soda with every free sub sold Saturday.

The collaborative space at 716 Cookman Avenue is open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call (201) 981-2395 or visit their Facebook Page.